It’s here, baby! The great celebration of winter, Northfield, beer, frozen turkeys, long underwear and fictitious (maybe) creatures is upon us.

Shove the Olympics aside for the weekend, folks, because Yeti Fest starts today.

There are multiple activities happening today, including a ski and snowshoe party at Keepsake Cidery, a big ol’ party on the patio at Armory Square with s'mores and frozen turkey bowling, and a glorious reunion of one of Northfield’s all time favorite bands, Area 51.

But we need to talk about what is possibly the biggest event of the day, and that’s the Yeti Look Alike contest.

First, let’s just affirm and resolve one simple fact: of all the (possibly) mythical creatures out there - from the Loch Ness monster, to Sasquatch, to Unicorns, to the Northfielder who doesn’t like craft beer – none is more attractive than the Yeti. The Yeti is beautiful, in a non-threatening, non-sexual, simply-appreciative-of-the-aesthetic way.

So, why not celebrate the fact that you might indeed look like the Yeti.

Are you a hairy person? Are you pale? Well, of course you are, because both these things are endemic to being a Minnesotan in the middle of winter.

Even if you don’t fit the assumed standard definition of what a Yeti might look like, who cares? Has anyone ever really seen a Yeti? This might be your opportunity to redefine the whole idea of what a Yeti is supposed to look like. Or maybe there are different versions of that. There could be Hipster Yeti. Blue Collar Yeti. Professor Yeti. Rock Star Yeti. Really, the possibilities are endless.

And don’t think that you need to be a white, anglo-saxon looking Minnesotan to qualify. That’s just crap, in fact. Is the Yeti not Himalayan? So what does that mean? It means you could be of Asian decent, or African, or you know, Australian, even. It’s possible that the Yeti emigrated to the Himalayas from Qatar. Nobody knows.

What we’re trying to say, here, is all looks are legit. Man, woman, boy, girl, canine, feline, bovine – whatever. If you feel think you look like a Yeti, you should enter tonight’s contest. Or if you have a friend that looks like a Yeti, get them into the contest.

It starts at 8:30 tonight at Imminent, in between the Area 51 sets. You can show up and register on the spot. See you then.

PS. You can find all the information you need on Yeti Fest by clicking here: https://www.facebook.com/events/1655824034479097/